In Memory of Wade
by Roselyne
Summary: Wade Barrett is no longer leader of the NEXUS, stabbed in the back by CM Punk during the Cage match. Now the new leader is trying to turn NEXUS into a brainwashing sect. But Wade isn't someone easily forgotten. The line is thin between MARTYR and HERO...
1. The Gathering

Warning:_ Before you proceed, just keep in mind that __**english is NOT my mother language**__. So there will certainly be mistakes in this text. Yet, I'm eager to improve, so if you see any correction that could be done, don't hesitate to contact me :-) Thanks in advance ^_^_

Author's note:_ Those who follow me on __**facebook**__, __**skyrock**__ or __**Twitter**__, know that I'm doing for the moment a series of __**funny WWE comics**__. The next one to appear will be a __**Wade Barrett vs CM Punk**__, inspired from the latest __**RAW**__ (2011.01.24). I started to get a funny idea for another comic between those two, took a few notes... And before I knew it, it became this crazy story._

_Here, I take the opportunity to show the __**premises of the SECT idea in CM Punk's mind**__, which will lead to the brainwashing __**New Nexus**__ that we know now._

Background Music:_ When you create something, the type of music playing in the background can influence your mood, and therefore the story you write. If you want to "dive" into the creative atmosphere of this story, listen to Nickelback 's album "Dark Horses". ;-)_

**·..·**

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**IN MEMORY OF WADE**

_(__sometimes your wishes never come true the way you wanted)_

_**Chapter 1 - The Gathering**_

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**·..·**

The members of the Nexus were sitting silently around a table in the far side of the big meal room, away from all the other wrestlers who - by the way - cautiously avoided to stay any longer than necessary in the same area as the former NXT rookies. All the Nexus members were carefully trying to avoid each others' gaze. For the first time, almost all of them felt bad about what had happened the night before. Oh, it's not like _they _actually _did_ something. But they knew what was about to happen and _did_ nothing, waiting for fate to choose for them.

Fate, or one of the recent member in the group.

CM Punk was the only one alert, staring at them, one after the other, his piercing eyes trying to read through them. He had started the day in a complete bliss, feeling that it was one of the best days of his life. But with the passing hours, the Nexus members were really getting on his nerves. He didn't like how things were turning. They were the Nexus, damn it! Not a bunch of sissies! They had no time to mourn! They had people to beat the living daylights of!

CM Punk sighed deeply, then pushed his plate away. "This is boring! I'm gonna have a walk!".

Heath Slater brought his gaze upon him with a questioning look. CM Punk went on, gesturing their whole group. "This...! You guys, are _totally_ boring! There's no way to have in-betweens with you. It's either total destruction, or total depression."

"We don't feel exactly fine with the recent events", Heath explained with his slow and careful accent. The fact that all the other Nexus members kept silence could indeed mean that they approved the red-haired statement. Punk sighed. Better kill the chick inside the egg, before resentment turned into rebellion. No one wanted to have a bunch of psychopaths after them, especially if the said psychopaths were wearing a black tee-shirt with a big yellow **N** on it. And most particularly not, if the said psychopaths were also depressive sissies.

"All right!", he clapped his hands once, to get their attention. "I destroyed Wade Barrett. I admit! But don't you dare looking at me like that! That's what ALL of you wanted! If you were still by his side, and not crying for a true leader who was not totally obsessed by John Cena, I would have stayed where I was, just another potential Nexus member. But noooo, you had to turn on him, didn't you ?".

He shifted his gaze on David Otunga. "You first, you challenged Barrett about the leadership. You were the first one to warn him that he would be fired from the group if he didn't stop all his Cena non-sense. So don't you dare blaming ME, while I succeeded where you FAILED!". Otunga unnoticeably clenched his jaws and retreated slightly in his chair.

CM Punk's voice sounded caustic and somehow hostile. The few other wrestlers still in the meal room chose that precise moment to pack their stuffs and leave.

"I heard many adjectives attached to the Nexus' name. But never _Hypocrites_", CM Punk went on. "Yet, it's exactly what you are now!". He paused then lowered his voice: "You were with me - if not physically, then spiritually - when I _executed_ him".

Heath Slater started to speak again, his gaze constantly shifting away. "But you didn't need to go that far."

CM Punk crossed his arms against his chest and leant backwards, considering Slater. He would have to be careful with this one. Otunga was brutal and narrow-minded, easy to control. But Slater... Well, you never knew what kind of a wicked tornado could hide behind his soft and girly features. CM Punk was sure that he hadn't shown his true potential of cruelty yet.

_"You're either NEXUS, or you're AGAINST us"_. CM Punk reminded them their motto. This was somehow useless, as all of them were veterans from the group. Technically, he was a _newbie_. But a dangerous newbie. A newbie who saw the Nexus as a tool, and had plans for the group. Plans that they wouldn't like to hear anytime soon. "Wade Barrett already stopped being a Nexus a long time before I ever ripped his Nexus armband and kicked him from the top of the cage."

He marked a pause, remembering the look in Wade's green eyes as he had torn the Nexus armband from his arm. It had been surprise, despair, loss... Of course, Wade had created the Nexus from the start, and had jeopardized his career for that group. Removing the NEXUS armband had been like ripping his soul away. CM Punk had done it on purpose. He had then kicked the man violently down the huge cage. Wade Barrett had started his long fall, never leaving CM Punk's eyes, but to the latter, he already looked dead inside long before he ever hit the ground.

CM Punk shrugged mentally and went on: "But you already felt it, didn't you? Otherwise you would have never plotted against him to put me on the lead". Better make them feel really responsible and guilty. "I didn't ask for this! But you were in such a _need_ for a true leader. So...", he sought for the best words, with maximum impact, then started in a feverish way: "... I decided to _**SACRIFICE **_myself for a better cause. For the Nexus cause... Because I have _**FAITH**_ in the Nexus, and _**FAITH**_ in our future!"

He paused briefly, much for the effect; giving them time to assimilate his speech. He decided he liked this idea of religiosity. It offered a better control once people were taking the same path as his. And hurt, fragile minds such as theirs now, were easier to manipulate with Big Words.

"And there's no need to mourn Wade Barrett. He was a necessarily sacrifice". His voice was quieter than earlier, less feverish. "He is gone. And nothing will ever make him come back. We all have to move on. For the Nexus Greater Good."

He closed his eyes a few second, like a priest, not checking if the others would do the same. The fact that none spoke before he opened his eyes again was already a good sign, he mused. He scanned quickly the five remaining Nexus members around him, memorizing their face expression or the look in their eyes, noting those who seemed a little bit too emotional. Those, like Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel would have to be specially taken care of before they tried anything _funny_. Heath felt somehow unease. A minute ago, the idea that their new leader was perhaps crazy had briefly crossed his mind. It wouldn't be the last time, though...

"So", CM Punk concluded this little improvised meeting with a enthusiastic smile. "Now that we solved the past, we can look forward to the future". He was about to stand up when Otunga stopped him.

"Not yet. The meal is not over. There's a dessert today".

Taken completely off-guards by the sudden switch of subject, CM Punk frowned, puzzled. But he was also very happy that the conversation was somehow drifting away from Barrett and his _very unfortunate_ incident. A waiter arrived at that precise moment, and put in the middle of the table a big plate with something that looked like a either a weird pizza, or a red pie with unidentified fruits on it.

Most of the Nexus members stared at it suspiciously for some long seconds. With the exception of David Otunga who glanced at each and everyone of them with dark and hateful eyes.

CM Punk shifted his eyes from the pie to the other Nexus guys. Seeing that none seemed ready to move, he started: "So what?"

"What, _what?_", Otunga snapped, sounding slightly hostile.

"What are we supposed to do with that... _stuff_ ?", CM Punk made his question more accurate.

Otunga growled softly before explaining: "That _stuff,_ it's me who made it! There's a problem with that?"

"Not as long as we don't have to eat it!", CM Punk laughed before realizing that it was not a joke and that Otunga was damn serious about it. He felt a cold chill moving down his spine while the dark Nexus stared at him with murderous eyes, before turning his attention back to his pie.

"Before we proceed", Otunga started in a solemn voice, looking at every Nexus members around the table, "I'd like to announce that I initially prepared this strawberry pie for Wade. Because he **loves** strawberries".

"Me too I love strawberries", Husky Harris retorted with a sweet smile. Suddenly it occurred to CM Punk that Harris had probably NEVER tried any of Otunga's cooking preparation. Yet.

"Wade is gone", Otunga went on, "and all we've left of him is this strawberry pie. I'm feeling sad and emotional here. That's why I didn't rush on it with a knife yet. All the Nexus members are sad. Look at Michael, he even has tears in his eyes!".

All turned toward Michael McGillicutty who blinked several times. "No, the tear in my eye, it's because I'm feeling drowsy and I try not to yawn".

Otunga growled again. Oh, if eyes could kill... Then, he took a deep breath. "Okay. I see there's no freaking way to be a bit solemn with you guys. Bring out your plates!"

Husky Harris was the first to extend his plate to Otunga. When the others stared in horror at him, he just replied with a smile and a wink: "Gluttony is my sin".

While Otunga was serving pie parts to the Nexus members, CM Punk felt a presence nearby, and turned, half-expecting to have the spectre of Wade Barrett looking over his shoulder with an accusing look on his face. But it was even worse than that.

CM Punk was facing with horror... a camerawoman from the WWE company, sent with total immunity in order to film for the mini video sequences that the directors were usually putting between two matches at various Monday Night RAWs. CM Punk didn't know how long the camerawoman had been there, but seeing the long cables behind the camera, he knew that there was no point in destroying the material. Everything was already live-transmitted to the editing rooms, for posterity.

So great! Soon, everybody would see what a bunch of sissies the Nexus really were. CM Punk felt a migraine gaining him. For the first time, he regretted Wade Barrett. Would the Englishman come back, he would gladly give him back his title and seat as leader of the pack. Then run away, screaming insanely.

**·..·**

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**TO BE CONTINUED.**

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**·..·**

Second WWE fic here, still around the Nexus.

**·..·**

**Why this fanfic?**

As explained above, this wasn't planned to be a fanfic at the beginning. Just a few notes for a future WWE comics of mine. Then, with this crazy mind of mine, it evolved with more details and became what you just read.

It allowed me to explore how CM Punk might have come with his crazy brainwashing sect ideas of him, making the mighty NEXUS group turn into that joke of a NEW NEXUS. If they keep going on like this, the "WE ARE ONE", will become "WE ARE DONE". ;-)

This fanfic will be quite short though. Two or Three chapters. See it as an interlude before next chapters for "FROM NEXUS WITH LOVE" ;-)

**·..·**

**Note for all the Wade Barrett fans out there:**

Don't leave yet ! You'll understand why in the next chapter ;)

**·..·**

**Special thanks to those who were somehow part of the many discussions than finally led me to this crazy idea (****as well as many insomnia):**

Becky, Austin R., Ninfea Di Luna, and nerdofthemove

**·..·**

**Heaven Ice Day you all ^_^**

**::Roselyne::**

_(twitter: roselyne777)_


	2. Tensions

_Warning:__Before you proceed, just keep in mind that __**english is NOT my mother language**__. So there will certainly be mistakes in this text. Yet, I'm eager to improve, so if you see any correction that could be done, don't hesitate to contact me :-) Thanks in advance ^_^_

_Author's note:__ Little game here. One of the events described below REALLY happened. I can personally testify of it ;) Those who know me will easily guess :p_

**·..·**

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**IN MEMORY OF WADE**

_(__sometimes your wishes never come true the way you wanted)_

_**Chapter **__**2 - Tensions**_

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**·..·**

The Nexus were still sit around the table in the back of the meal room, now deserted by the other wrestlers. Their heads were slightly down. From an outside observer, they might looked like into a reverent silence, probably in memory of their former leader Wade Barrett. And somehow, it was related.

Almost all of them were trying to come to grips with their part of the strawberries pie Otunga had done in memory of Wade. Some were staring at it with dreadful eyes. Other were trying to delay the fateful moment by passing it from one hand to another, with a _'To eat or not to eat, that is the question'_ expression on their face. Gabriel was the first to surrender and decided to take a bite, afraid of the taste it might have, to finally realize that the taste was _optional_, compared to the _TEXTURE_! For the moment, they had all forgotten about the blonde camerawoman from the WWE, but everybody in the Control Room were drinking it all in. With broad smiles on their faces.

Otunga was staring at each and every Nexus members, with dark eyes, and a severe bushy frown. In the end, he couldn't hold it any longer and slammed his hands on the table.

"Ok! What's wrong now? You're all silent!"

"Uh...", Gabriel tried not spit out the piece of pie he had in his mouth while answering. "di'icul 'o 'alk, here..."

Otunga turned towards their leader CM Punk. "If it's yucky, don't hesitate to hurt my feelings, heh?"

Gabriel swallowed with some difficulties, and answered with a strangled voice: "It's _beyond_ 'yucky', there..."

Otunga _made_ his head turn towards him, his feverish eyes almost bulging: "I was not talking to _you_ !"

"Oh, sorry", Gabriel shrugged, almost apologizing. "To my defense, I always thought you were a soulless creature from the netherworld who didn't really have feelings..."

CM Punk saw then that Otunga was about to explode and glanced towards the camera, wondering if it wouldn't be safe to destroy that thing and save what was left of the Nexus' pride, while time was still on their side. Then his brown eyes met the camerawoman' green eyes and realized that she might have followed his train of thoughts. Her evil smirk was clearly meaning _'Go on and try, please. Make my day!'_.

CM Punk looked away very fast. Someone standing around the Nexus, and not displaying any trace of fear, was either a champion of bluff, or someone EXTREMELY dangerous. And you could trust the WWE to send their most psychopath technicians to deal with their most psychopath wrestlers. CM Punk decided that the last thing he needed now, was a concussion due to a camera hitting his skull at full speed, battery first. Not that the Nexus would remain long without a leader. He was sure that Otunga would be glad to _SACRIFICE_ himself for the cause, but he doubted of the spiritual side of the group, in that case.

Heath Slater leant slightly towards Justin Gabriel: "Usually, when I have to eat a pie, I eat the fruits and I leave the dough."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow: "And here, you do the contrary?"

Slater shook his head: "No. Here, I leave EVERYTHING."

McGillicutty was about to take a bite when he got a second thought: "Why, the dough is a little bit dry?"

"Yeah", Slated nodded. "Like in _'Katrina destroyed _**a little bit**_ New Orleans'_".

"C'mon!", Otunga shouted, raising his hands in the air. "It's not like I'm asking you to eat the back of a chair!"

"Actually", Gabriel started, "the only difference with the back of a chair, is that you call _this_ a strawberry pie".

Otunga growled. "At next TLC, I'll throw you a chair across the face and I swear you're gonna TASTE THE DIFFERENCE!"

CM Punk could recon when the situation was getting out of control. He turned towards the camera with a sweet smile and decided to comment on it, much to illustrate the havoc of the Nexus he was inheriting, after the _damage_ done by Wade Barrett.

"You see? A dessert at the NEXUS will always guarantee you an atmosphere full of warmth..."

_"Before you hit me, you'll have to move your fat ass first !"_

CM Punk blinked, but didn't loose his smile and went on: "... of conviviality..."

_"Your teeth are so yellow that traffic slows down whenever you grin!"_

CM Punk went on quietly, beyond despair now: "... and of fellowship". He blinked several times. Boy, he would have to teach them discipline quite soon!

Husky Harris swallowed his own bite, and joined the conversation: "Yesterday, at the end of the parking lot, I found a grove full of strawberries. Probably the same as yours, by the way Otunga. Well, I made myself a full stomach of them, 'cause I really love strawberries... But here, I don't know which magical spell you cast upon them, but you managed to turn them into... gravels!"

Otunga champed at the bit. "The cooking temperature was probably a little bit too high".

Slater leant on Harris and whispered, but not low enough: "Again... A little bit like in _'Katrina destroyed-'_ "

"**SHUT UP!**", Otunga interrupted the red-haired, slamming both his hands on the table. "Can't you AT LEAST observe a moment of SILENCE for our much lamented Wade Barrett, without unpleasant remarks start flying like MISSILES?"

CM Punk sighed loudly and turned away from the camera, back to Otunga: "Wait! Since the beginning, you shit in Wade's shoes. Even before the Nexus was born, you never accepted the fact he won the NXT tournament and not you. From the moment he created the Nexus, you always placed yourself safely at the border of insubordination. You were the first one to threaten him of eviction if he didn't rehire John Cena. And even when he did, you tried later and called a truce with Cena, pretending Wade was kicked out of the group while it wasn't official yet. You hated Wade with your guts! And now, abruptly, it's all _"Wade loved strawberriiiiiiiiiiiies... I did that pie for hiiiiiiiiiiiim... And I'm sad he's goooooooooone..."_. All right, heh? Enough with the hypocritical jeremiads! Wade did survive his fall in the cage. He has been transferred to SMACKDOWN. Right now he's in the hospital, but he's alive. And unless he's dumb enough and try and challenge for example the Big Show when he'll be on his first day at SmackDown, he's not going to die anytime soon! But us?", CM Punk pointed an accusing finger to the pie on the table, "... I can't make that same guarantee for us!"

Heath lifted his head. "Wade is at SmackDown?"

CM Punk nodded, still staring at Otunga, and missing the spark of interest in Slater's eyes. "It's totally understandable", the new leader started in a quieter voice. "He only had enemies at RAW. No one to turn to, as he was now "AGAINST the Nexus". No one would lift a finger and help him if the Nexus attacked him. Hell, some would even think his eviction was fake! And those who wouldn't think that, would probably take a ticket and go in the line for a _let's-get-revenge-and-beat-Barrett-into-a-pulp_ session. The WWE invested on him. If they wanted some business return, they had to make sure he lasted more than a day - two if he was in full potential. They had no other choice but to transfer him!".

For the first time since the arrival of the pie on their table, the Nexus kept silence for a moment, each understanding the truth in CM Punk's words. Husky Harris was the first to break that silence.

"I say, that if that pie was made for Wade, we should stop eating it. We pack it, and we send it to him by parcel post to SmackDown.

McGillicutty chuckled. "He'll be even able to use it as a projectile against his enemies, and create the TLCP: Table, Ladder, Chair, _Pie_ !"

Otunga's mood darkened again as Harris went on: "and we can even add a note. Like _'From Nexus, With Love'_."

"Sure! Good idea!", Gabriel applauded. "Everyone knows that Wade is a guy who has a _great_ sense of humor!"

"All right, then!", Harris replied with a big and proud smile. Obviously, 'Sarcasm' was for him just a seven letter word starting with S.

"I bet he'll come up with some _funny _ideas of his in return", Heath Slater went on. "Like coming back to RAW, make an alliance with John Cena, beat the shit out of us..."

CM Punk burst out laughing, trying to imagine John Cena and Wade Barrett fighting _voluntary_ side by side. Then his laughs died in his throat when he realized that even if the odds were low, other horrors less likely had already occurred. Bush Jr winning a second time for the presidential elections, for example...

After a few seconds of silence, he just announced gravely: "If John Cena ever comes back from his hip injury, we'll have to seriously take care of him. Once and for all".

**·..·**

Husky Harris was putting the remains of the strawberry pie into some trashcan while CM Punk was staring at Otunga with his arms crossed on his chest.

"I do sincerely hope that you're not going to prepare another dessert every time a Nexus member leaves, right?"

Heath Slater put his hands in his pocket and grumbled. "I don't care. Next time he does a pie, I quit the Nexus!"

"Oh NO!", CM Punk's roar sounded like the scream of a camel who had just seen two bricks. "Don't leave, or he'll cook another one!"

**·..·**

**·..·**

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**TO BE CONTINUED.**

**·..·..· -•(-•-•-)•-..·..·**

**·..·**

_Here it is, a __**second**__ chapter ! :) Just an hour before the __**ROYAL RUMBLE 2011**__ ! ;-)_

_At this point, yes, I do cross my fingers for __**Wade Barrett**__ to be the winner, even if there will be way too many people who'll have plenty of reasons to try and eliminate him quickly :-(_

_I admit it would be great for him if he won, but I also admit that - __**storyline**__ speaking - what they developed for him (and still in progress) and the __**progression**__ of his character's personality and relations with others, would be pretty __**'damaged'**__ if he was the Big Winner. (or, if he was, he'd probably lose the championship... this time). I guess that there are still much __**evolution**__ to come with his character before he can finally access to his __**Holy Grail**__. _

_But that's only my opinion heh? ;-)_

_In summary, the fan in me would love him to win at this Royal Rumble. :)_

_The scenarist in me don't think it's a good idea, at least this year. :,(_

**·..·**

_**To Wade Barrett's fan**__**s **_(yes, there are!):

_See why I told you in chapter one not to leave ? ;-) _

_**·..·**_

_**My Answers to your questions/comments:**_

**- NINFEA DI LUNA: **

Thank yoooou for your nice comments, especially when they come from such an **extremely talented writer** as you. :-) I'm really happy to be your friend too :) Can't wait to meet you, in Belgium, or in France ;-) I was LOOOOL at your "**mondiale moquette**" line ;-P

Don't worry **"Total Destruction or Total Depression"** was not for you. It's really how the Nexus look at the outside in the show (total destruction), and how they looked at the beginning of chapter one (total depression) ;-)

Wrestlers or Kids? Well, it's always funny to show some soft spots on big villains, no? :p

**Camerawoman**. I really didn't think about it at the beginning. But after I read your comment, it gave me an idea. I suppose you understand now, heh? :p

**- ****RORONOA MINAMINO:**

Thanks a lot :)

Glad you had this "Heath Squealing" reading it ^_~ I must admit that the way Heath Miller behaves online (twitter mostly) influenced me on my writing about his WWE character _(the guy is completely crazy, but in a POSITIVE way ;) )._

Yeah, I included your "**WE ARE DONE**" phrase :D I see we feel the same way about CM Punk's **motives about the Nexus**. Let's just hope he'll be kicked quickly from the Royal Rumble in approx an hour now. Let's just hope he and Wade Barrett won't **throw each other TOGETHER** above the third rope. It would be like a sick joke -_-

_**·..·**_

_Ok, enough writing, now it's time to post it online, if you want to keep yourself a little busy before the__** Royal Rumble 2011 :)**_

_**·..·**_

_Heaven Ice Day you all ^_^_

_**::Roselyne::**_

_(twitter: roselyne777)_


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